A serious problem in connection with drug preparation, drug administration and other similar handling is the risk that medical and pharmacological staff are exposed to drugs or solvents which might escape into the ambient air. Medical and pharmacological staff are also frequently exposed to needles, syringes and piercing members in their daily work. Such exposure may lead to accidents such as the staff piercing or scratching themselves. This problem is particularly serious when cytotoxins, antiviral drugs, antibiotics and radiopharmaceuticals are concerned. Other hazardous areas may be sampling taking such as samples concerning virus infections or the like.
For this reason, there has been a need of safer systems for handling and administrating drugs and other medical substances.
Accordingly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,054 (Gustaysson) discloses a fluid transfer device for transferring a substance from one vessel to another vessel while avoiding leakage of liquid and gas contaminants by protecting the piercing member. The disclosed device comprises a first member designed as a hollow sleeve and having a piercing member provided with a passageway. The piercing member is attached to the first member which has a first barrier member at one end just opposite the tip of the piercing member. Thereby, the piercing member can be passed and retracted through the first barrier member which seals one end of the first member. The fluid transfer device further comprises a second member which is attached to or attachable to one of the vessels or to means arranged to communicate therewith. The second member has a second barrier member, and mating connection means arranged on the first and second members for providing a releasable locking of the members with respect to each other. The barrier members are liquid and gas-proof sealing members which seal tightly after penetration and retraction of the piercing member and prevent leakage of liquid as well as gas contaminants. In the connected position of the first and second members, the barrier members are located in such a way with respect to each other that the piercing member can be passed therethrough.
When performing infusion, it is often necessary to inject a drug or other medical substance into the infusion fluid inside an infusion bag or other infusion fluid container. This is often done by means of penetrating a septum or other fluid barrier of an injection port on the infusion bag or on the infusion fluid line with a needle of a syringe filled with the medical fluid in question. However, even before this it may be necessary to transfer the medical fluid from a vial to a syringe and then from the syringe to a secondary container.
In order to transfer a fluid, a first and a second fluid container is connected to a fluid transfer device. Such first and second fluid containers may be e.g., a vial and a syringe. In special cases the fluid transfer device may be in the form of a piercing member protection device to protect a piercing member. However, it has been found that some transfer devices lock the fluid containers with respect to each other in a non favourable position after assembly. Such a position may result in difficulties in e.g., reading the volume indication on at least one of the fluid containers. In attempts to eliminate this unfavourable position by e.g., turning the whole fluid transfer device it has surprisingly been found that such attempts cause an additional hazardous step for users e.g., medical staff when transferring hazardous fluids. If a syringe, vial or infusion system or the like is attached, the user's glove may e.g., be caught in the transfer device during turning of the syringe. Usually complications like this may lead to the gloves being torn. This may in turn lead to exposure to contaminants for the user. Further, contaminants may escape from the transfer device during the turning of the syringe. Even worse the connection means may be detached during such turning. In this worst case scenario, the piercing member is usually in its unsecured position and the user is very likely to be exposed to the sharp tip of the piercing member and the hazardous fluid. A further disadvantage is that one fluid container can be accidentally disconnected during use. A disconnection during use may expose not only a piercing member to a user but also expose the user to the hazardous fluid.